Envelop-sealing attachment for stapling-machines.



J. MUTE.

ENVELOP SEALING ATTACHMENT FOR STAPLING MACHINES.

v APPFIOATIOR-IILBD JAN. 22, 1914. 1,109,355.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

INVENTOR if? WW! WITNESSES.-

' nrmnwsr UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

P A-NY, OF NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT ENVELOP-SEALING' ATTACHMENT r012. sTAPLING-MAcnmns.

Specification of Letters latent.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN MUTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwalk, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Envelop Sealing Attachments for stapling-Machines, ofwhich the 'following is aspecification. This invention relates to stapling machines generally and has for its object to provide an attachment therefor that will ing envelopstthat will insure absolute pri-.

vacy for their contents, as envelops sealed in the manner I am aboutto describe cannot be opened without cutting or tearing the envelop itself, so as to show beyond a doubt that it has been tampered with.

My invention is applicable to any style of stapling machine which drives and clenches a staple by means of a single actuation of a plunger. I haveshownit as applied'to a Hotchkiss machine which severs a staple from astrip and drives and clenches it by an actuation of aqs ring controlled'plun'ger and feeds the strip orward, placing another staple in position for use, by the return movement of the plunger.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective of a Hotchkiss stapling machine with my novel attachment applied thereto and illustrating the manner of placing an envelop in position for sealing; Fig. 2 a plan view of the anvil of the machine with the attachment in place; Fig. 3 an elevation corresponding with Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a view of the inner end of the carrying rod of the attachment; Fig. 5 a detail'fview as seen from the left in Fig. 2; Fig. 6 a detail sectional view showing a spring controlled locking plunger for retaining the hinged arm of the machine in the raised position; Fig. 7

a detail view partly in section, showing a staple in position to be severed, drivenand' Patented Se t. 1, 1914.

JOHN MUTE, NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE E. H. HOTCHKISS COM- clenched; Figs. 8 and 9 are plan views of envelops sealed by staples applied by means of a machine using my novel attachment,

and Fig. 10 is a detail view. on an enlarged scale. showing a staple clenched in the sealng flap and'under ply 'of an envelop.

10 denotes the anvil of [the machine, 11 the hinged arm, which. carries the operative parts, 12the plunger and 13 a spring which normally retains the plunger in 'the raised position.

For. convenience in inserting an envelop, I have shown the boss to which the arm is hinged as provided with a spring controlled locking plunger 14, which may or may not be used, as preferred. This plunger has a rounded end which passes slightly-- under the arm when it is in the raised positlon, as 1n Fig. 1, and retains it there, the

power of the spring however being easily overcome when it is desired to lower the arm after the envelop has been placed in position to receive a staple. y The attachment comprises simply a carryi'ng rod 15 and a clenching arm 16 hinged to the outer end thereof to swing vertically toward and away from the anvil, for a restricted distance. The .outer end of the clenching arm is shown as rigidly secured -to a-vertically swinging plate. 17, the lower edge of which lies in a slot in the carrying rod and is pivoted. thereto as at 18.' The plate is shown as provided with a stop is provided on its upper face with a clenching recess 20 which co-acts with the plunger to clench a staple in the usual manner when it is driven by the plunger.

As a convenient means of securing the attachmentto the machine a hole 21 is drilled in the side of the anvil which receives the end of the carrying rod. The end of the carrying rod is provided with a slot 22 which receives a stop pin 23' to definitely position the attachment and place the clenching recess accurately in alinement with the plunger. The attachment is rigidly secured.in place by a set screw 24: in the anvil which engages 'a recess 25 in the side of the carrying rod (see dotted lines, Fig. 4:) The operation is as follows: The sealing flap of the'envelop is preferably moistenedin the usual manner, although this is not essential. The sealing flap is turned 0utward as in Fig. 1 and is passed under the hinged arm which is retained in the raised 10 position by the locking plunger. The inner end of the clenching arm, which is provided with the clenching recess, is passed under the under ply of the envelop, then the seal ing flap is placed. over the under ply in the usual manner, then the hinged arm is lowered upon the sealing flap and a staple is cut oil and driven through thesealing flap and the under ply of the envelop and clenched on the under side thereof as clearly shown in Fig. 10. In sealing small envelops a single staple may be placed at the center, as shown in Fig. 9. In sealing larger sized envelops three staples or more are transverse screw-threaded opening; of a horizontal carrying rod having its inner end provided with a slot to receive the stop pin when inserted in the longitudinal opening and its outer end provided with a longitudinal slot; a clamping screw operating in the transverse screw-threaded opening to engage the carryin'g rod; a vertically swinging plate pivotally mounted within the outer slot in the carrying-rod and provided with a stop shoulder to engage the carrying rod to positively limit the upward movement of said plate, and a vertically swinging clenching arm having its outer end rigidly secured to the plate and its inner end ofl"-set laterally over the anvil and having upon its upper surface a clenching recess. 4

2. -An attachment for a stapling machine, comprising a carrying arm having its inner end secured to the anvil of the machine and its outer end provided with a longitudinal slot, a vertically swingin plate pivotally mounted within the longitudinal slot and provided with a shoulder to engage the carrying arm to positively limit the upward movement of said plate, and a vertically swinging clenching arm rigidly secured to the pivoted plate and having its inner end laterally off-set over the anvil of the machine and provided upon it upper surface with a clenching recess.

-' In testimon whereof I aflix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

JOHN MUTH. Witnesses:

WM. A. CURTIS, EDWARD Bonus. 

